Padstow History
The suburb of Picnic Point is situated within the original 640 acre land grant of Thomas Graham, which was made to him on 6th December 1928. The grant was called Horsehoe Bend, later changed to Bononton Park. In 1888 Charles Tompson purchased the land and it was known as Ferndale. In the flatter area south of Tompson Road, the family operated a market garden, and the remainder of the whole of modern day Picnic Point was their backyard including the river. They used to ride their horses down to Yeramba Lagoon and to their river. The area was informally referred to as Tompson’s Bush at this time.
However, by the 1910s it was hard for all of this wonderful land to be kept under control of one family over generations, especially when the railway line had arrived in Bankstown in 1909, which made Picnic Point a lot better serviced by public transport, albeit a very long walk to Bankstown. By the 1920s about a dozen families lived in Kennedy Street, and a bus service connecting the area to Bankstown commenced. The Picnic Point General Store and Post Office opened in the 1930s. More people settled in the area in the next two decades enticed by the large blocks with a bushy outlook. However the 1960s through to the 1980s, was the time where Picnic Point was finally transformed from large bush blocks to the modern suburb we know today. In recent times, many of these larger blocks have been subdivided into town houses and sometimes large enough to have three and four torrens title homes via battle-axe designs.
Today people pay a premium to purchase in the area for much the same reason as the early settlers did, nice large blocks and so close to the bush and river.
Picnic Point Today
The size of Picnic Point is approximately 4 square kilometres. It has 3 parks covering nearly 38% of total area. The population of Picnic Point in 2006 was 5,940, and the predominant age group in Picnic Point is 40-49 years. Households in Picnic Point are primarily couples with children, and are likely to be repaying over $2000 per month on mortgage repayments. In 2006, 84.3% of the homes in Picnic Point were owner-occupied, and the current median sales price of houses in the area is $672,500.
The suburb of Picnic Point is very popular because of its quiet location and proximity to the Georges River and National Park, with many of the popular large blocks boasting waterfront access or water views. The area is also still very close to Panania train station and shopping centre. The local shopping area of Picnic Point offers a convenience store, a chemist, medical centre, hairdresser and beauty therapist and Chinese Restaurant. The Picnic Point also boasts some very popular primary and high schools, churches, parks with picnic grounds and fishing spots, the fantastic Lambeth Reserve river boardwalk, all the wonderful uses of the Georges River National Park, plus Carinya Road waterfront parkland and boat ramp.
If you would like to know more about the Picnic Point area, please ask us about the ‘History of Picnic Point’ books by Andrew Molloy, exclusively sold in our office of Chambers Fleming Professionals Real Estate, here on the corner of Faraday and Howard Roads, Padstow.
